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Chapters (64)
  1. CAPTURED!
  2. Other Books
  3. Title Page
  4. Map
  5. Introduction
  6. BOOK ONE
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. BOOK TWO
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. BOOK THREE
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. What’s next onyour reading list?

Cornflower shook with mirth. “Oh dear, no. I’m sure she meant the remark as a compliment. Come on, Constance, let’s see if any of the gardening tools can be of use to us.”

They retreated chuckling as Brother Sedge sliced apples savagely.

*   *   *

Foremole reappeared through the tunnel entrance into Cavern Hole. He waved to the Abbot.

“Lookit yurr, ’dalfus zurr, fresh watter aplenty!”

Moles climbed out, bearing buckets of water on poles between them – proof that the tunnel to the pond had been completed.

The Abbot was well pleased. “Thank you, Foremole. Now we have all we need. Look, Mrs. Churchmouse, fresh water, as much as we need.”

Mrs. Churchmouse rolled her sleeves up busily. “Wonderful! I think it’s high time for somebeast to get a bath.”

Rollo gave a yelp of dismay and tried to crawl into the tunnel, but he met Gaffer, who was climbing out.

“Urr you’m be, marm. You scrub that liddle feller noice an’ clean naow.”

Baby Rollo was carried off protesting loudly, “I wanna be a mole. Moles don’t get baffed!”

*   *   *

Mangiz had been thinking very hard. “My General, last time I was in the galleries of Great Hall I saw the mouse in armour. He was not a real live mouse, but a picture on a great cloth that is fastened to the wall. The earthcrawlers must value him highly.”

“What if they do, Mangiz? A piece of cloth is a piece of cloth. How can this help us?”

“Maybe they value him highly enough to defend him.”

“What is going on in your head, my Mangiz? Tell me.”

“I am thinking that we will not have to attack the earthcrawlers. If they saw us trying to take the big cloth with the picture of the mouse on, they would come out and attack us to save it.”

Ironbeak clacked his beak together sharply. “Chakka! We would catch them out in the open. This is a good plan. Mangiz, you are my strong right wing.”

The sun slanted through the windows of Redwall Abbey. It shone on the large tapestry in the peace and quiet of Great Hall.

BOOK THREE

Malkariss

38

The arrival of a cool summer morning did not make the gorge look any less wide.

Jabez Spike shook his head despairingly. “’Twould be simpler to float a stone across a river than to get all these creatures across that great dark pit.”

Breakfast was frugal and the water ration had run low. They ate and drank in silence. Basil Stag Hare looked longingly at the bushes and vegetation on the opposite side.

“I’ll wager there’s tender young plants and lots of water over there, wot?” he said wistfully.

Cheek gulped his water ration in a single swig. “Wish you’d stop goin’ on about food’n’water, Basil. Otters need water more than some old dried up twig of a hare, y’know.”